Apparatus for developing photographic plates.



. '3 871,332. PATENTED NOV. 19. 1907.

A. GAFPNEY.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIG PLATES.

APPLIOATIOH I'ILED JAI. 28. 1903.

2 SHEETS-BEBE! 1.

m 4 W a w W 1 No. 871,332. I I PATENTBD NOV. 19. 1907.- A. GAFFNEY.APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIG PLATES,

APPLIOATIOI FILED JAE. 23, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TO EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed January 3, 3- Serial N 1 56;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTINE GAFFNEY, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Developing Photographic Plates; and I dohereby declare the following to be a iull, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and to the reference-Inunerals markedthereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide an apparatus fordeveloping photographic plates or negatives which is adapted to beemployed in connection with the usual plate holder whereby the platesmay be developed without the trouble and inconvenience of the usual darkroom.

My invention embodies generally a suitable tray or receptacle in which aphotographic plate is deposited from its holder, and the variousdeveloping operations are performed without exposing the plate to thelight until after such operations thereon are completed.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatusconstructed in accordance with my invention shown with the plate holderattached thereto. Fig. 2 is a top plan. view of the apparatus. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional viewthereof. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view partly in section illustratingdetails of construction. Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating theoperation of the device, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustratingcertain details of the construction. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similarparts.

A developing apparatus constructed in accordance with my inventionembodies a tray or receptacle 1 ada ted to be employed in connectionwith a p ate holder 2 of the usual or any preferred. construction fromwhich the plate is deposited. The plate holder which I have illustratedis one of the double form provided with the chambers, ar-

ranged at opposite sides of a septum 3, which are adapted to be normallyclosed by means of the slides 4, as will be understood. The plate issecured in the chambers by means of the ledges or portions 5 and 6 onthe holder extending. over opposite ends of the plate. As shown, one ofthe ledges projects over the plate a greater distance than the other andarranged in the recess formed thereby is a suitable form of springdevice engaging the end of the plate to prevent its lateral movement inthe holder. In the present instance I have shown the spring, indicatedby 7, which is norm ally forced inward by a plunger or pin 8 and whichwhen released removes the tension of the spring from the plate so thatthe latter may be shifted longitudinally in the holder to permit it tobe removed as will be further described.

The apparatus embodies the central portion or tray at each end of whichare formed tanks or reservoirs 9, having a capacity sulficient tocontain the requisite amount of developing fluid or agent. Arranged uponthe side of the receptacle and leading into one of the reservoirs isafunnel or filling device 10 whichv is rotatably mounted upon a hollowsleeve so that it may be revolved into a suitable position to receivethe liquid, when it is supplied to the reservoir, and also to enable theoperator to readily our out the contents of the reservoir when I.esired. To this end I arrange the aperture leading from the tunneladjacent the end of the tray so that when the required amount of liquidis supplied to the reservoir none remains in the funnel. 11 indicatesbaffle plates located in the reservoir opposite the aperture leadingfrom the funnel which successfully prevent the entrance of light throughthe aperture leading into the interior of the apparatus. The tray isnormally closed by means of an opaque slide 15, similar to the slides 4in the plate holder, operating in a channel suitably formed betweenportions of the receptacle and capable of operation to open and closethe tray.

In the particular construction of developing apparatus which I haveillustrated, the device is formed of sheet metal and the tray 1, asshown inthe cross sectional views is slightly greater in length andwidth than the particular size of plate with which it is intended to beemployed. The sides of the tray are curved and provided with the small Isupports or filling strips 16 which engage the I edges'of thephotographic plate to support it I out of contact with the bottom of thetray as well as the sides thereof, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.The longitudinal movement of the plate is limited by means of the stopsor abutments 27 arranged at the ends of the tray which prevent the platefrom being moved into either of the two reservoirs. Extending outwardlfrom the tray is a sup-- port for the plate ho der the latter beingprevented from lateral movement and from a relative longitudinalmovement, in one direction, by means of vertically extending side walls17. The latter are formed by bending the material, as illustrated inFig. 4, forming inclosed channels 18 therein which are open at theirlower proximate sides forming ways in which are guided the edges orportions 19 on a removable open frame 20. The possibility of any rays oflight being admitted around said frame is precluded by providing theflanges 21 on the portions 19, which extend into the chambers 18. Theplate holder rests upon the frame 20 and the opening therein is equal tothe size of the tray and the portions surrounding said opening areseparated slightly from the proximate parts of the latter to permit thepassage of the slide 15 between them. The valve or fia 22 for excludingthe light from this channe or way in which the slide 15 operates, isformed of a thin sheet of metal or other suitable substance which is notliable to be affected by the chemical nature of developing solutions andwhich may be secured in position by binding its outer end beneath aroll' 23 of the metal of which the apparatus is constructed, as shown inFig. 5. The outer end of the flap or valve 22 extends into a recess orchannel 28, when the slide 15 is withdrawn, effectually preventingveniently located beneath the overhanging edges of the support on thetray. By extending the wal s 17 upwardly they serve to center the plateholder and as they extend beyond the meeting line of the receptacle andplate holder they exclude the light in case the parts of the two devicesdo not accurately fit together.

The developing apparatus may be employed with other plate holders thanthe one I have described and I therefore provide it with a releasingmechanism or suitable devices for mechanically operating the parts of aplate holder. shown is adapted to operate in connection with such aholder as that described in Letters Patent granted to W. F. Carleton N0. 432,974 in which the. ledge 50 corresponding to one of the ledges 5or 6 which engage the plate, is movable to release the latter. Thereleasing device embodies a member or key 30 j ournaled in the sidesofthe tray having the operating end or handle 31, at the exterior thereof,and within the tray the key is provided 'with a plurality of fingers 32which are adapted to be rotated. into the po sition shown in Fig. 8 tomove the ledge 50 out of engagement with the plate to allow the latterto be dropped into the tray, as will be understood.

The operation of the device will be understood. When it is desired todevelop a plate, the operator places the holder 2 upon the apparatus, asillustrated in Fig. 1, with 1 the side containing the plate or negativewhich has been previously exposed adjacent the apparatus. If the slide15 has not been previously removed it is then withdrawn and thelowermost slide 4 of-the plate holder subsequentlywithdrawn. Thephotograhic plate, indicated by A, is then released rom the plate holder byreleasing the plunger or pin 8, to remove the tension of the spring 7,thereby permitting the plate to be moved longitudinally in the holder.By rocking the device slightly the plate will be disengaged from theledges 5 and 6 and permitted to drop into the tray 1 where it issupported upon the strips 16 and prevented from longitudinal movement bymeans of the abutments or stops 27. By thus supporting the plate itsprepared surface or coating of film is prevented from injury by contactwith the tray and the liquid is permitted to circulate freely around andover it. Before proceeding with the developing operation, the slide 15is replaced so that the plate holder 2 may be removed,- if desired. Theapparatus is then held in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 6, andthe required amount of developing agent is poured into the funnel 10 andpasses into the reservoir connected thereto. The funnel is then rotatedupon the sleeve to the position shown in dotted lines in said figure andthe apparatus is then tilted allowing the plate, to be flooded with thesolution as it flows from one end to the other. After this operation hasbeen continued the desired length of time the funnel is revolved to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 permitting the liquid to beconveniently poured out of the tray. The subsequent OP.- eration ofwashing the plate with water may then be performed and the finaloperation of fixing the plate accomplished by filling the The releasingdevice I have receptacle with the required amount of the solutionemployed for this purpose. When this latter operation is completed theslide 15 may be withdrawn and the apparatus held in a substantiallyvertical position to cause the plate or negative to tip outwardly, itsmovement being arrested by the l ar 24, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.5, wherebyit may be conveniently grasped and removed by the operator.

The receiving tank or reservoir arranged at one side or end of the traypermits the required amount of the various solutions to be supplied andthe whole plate immersed at once and by providing a similar reservoir atthe opposite side or end of the tray I am enabled to flood the plate inopposite directions with the whole volume of liquid which willeffectively pr vent bubbles from forming on the surface of the plate.Further by arranging the tanks or reservoirs as I have shown them theliquid as it flows from one end of the tray to the other, as the latteris rocked, is prevented from splashing onto the slide 15 or fromoverflowing into the channel in which it operates. The frame formingthis channel being removable and the entire apparatus constructed in asimple manner of sheet metal it may be thoroughly cleaned after eachoperation, so that the development of plates or negatives subsequentlymay not be affected by chemical deposits remaining therein. The platereleasing mechanism which I have described is but one form that may beemployed and as various devices may be arranged to adapt the ap aratusfor 0 eration in connection with ot ier forms of p ate holders, I do notlimit myself to the precise construction shown.

By employing an apparatus such as I have described photographicnegatives may be subjected. to the various developing operations in thedaylight and the result of the exposure or picture determined withoutthe necessity of resorting to the dark room.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for developing photogra hic plates, the combinationwith a tray ant a reservoir having an 0 en side extending across thetray and lea ing into the latter, of a retaining bar extending over saidopen side and adapted to engage a plate holder arranged on the tray andyielding connections between its ends and the tray.

2. In an apparatus for developing photo gra hie plates, the combinationwith a tray am reservoirs having open sides arranged in opposition toeach other at opposite sides of the tray, of stops between the tray andreservoirs, means for supporting a plate holder centrally over the trayand a closure for the latter.

3. The combination with a tray, a reser- 1 voir connected thereto and afilling device leadlng mto the reservoir and movably conl nected theretowhereby it may be maintained in an upright position irrespective of therelative position of the reservoir, of means for securing a plate holderon the tray.

4. The'combination with a tray, a reservoir connected thereto at oneside, and a funnel arranged at one end of the reservoir and revolublymounted thereon and provided with a passage leading into the latter andlocated in proximity to the tray, of means for securing a plate holderto the tray.

5. The combination with a tray, reservoirs located at the ends thereofand stops between the latter and the tray, of supports arranged in thetray and adapted to engage the edges of a plate, means for securing aplate holder on the tray and a closure for the latter. 7

6. The combination with a tray, and curved supports arranged therein andadapted to engage the edges of a plate, of means for securing a plateholder to the tray and a slide for closing the tray.

7. The combination with a tray having a support adapted to receive aplate holder, of walls extending above the support, devices for securingthe holder to the tray and means for closing the tray independently ofthe plate holder.

8. The combination with a tray and a support thereon having wallsextending above the latter and provided with channels, of a slide forclosing the tray guided in the channels and means for securing a plateholder on the support.

9. The combination with a tray and a support thereon having wallsprovided with.

channels, of a slide for closing the tray,

means arranged above the slide and adapted to receive a plate holder andsupport it out of contact therewith and devices for securing the holderon the support.

10. The combination with a tray and a support thereon having wallsprovided with channels, of a removable frame extending over the supportand guided in the channels, of a slide operating between the frame andsupport and a clamping device for securing a plate holder in position onthe tray.

11. The combination with a metal tray, a support thereon and an openframe extending over the latter and separated therefrom to form apassage, of a movable slide arranged between the frame and support and avalve formed of resilient material secured at one edge beneath a roll inthe metal forming one of the parts and adapted to close the passage inwhich the slide operates.

12. The combination with a tray, of a single clamping bar extending overthe tray and arms at the end of the base yieldingly attached to thetray, said bar being adapted to engage a plate holder to secure it onthe tray.

13. The combination with a tray having an overhanging edge or supportthereon, of a clamping member movable relatively to the tray and springoperated arms supporting said member and secured to said overhang-- ingedge.

14. The combination with a tray or receptacle and a removable framethereon, one of the parts being provided with achannel, of a valvesecured to the other part and having the edge lying in the channel tolock the tray and frame together and a slide for closing the tray.

15. The combination with a tray having a support thereon and an openremovable frame extending over the latter and separated therefrom toform a passage and provided with a channel, of a slide operating in thepassage to close the tray and a valve secured to the tray having the endadapted to extend into the channel, when the slide is withdrawn.

16. In an apparatus for developing photographic plates the combinationwith a tray and a late holder arranged thereon having movab e platesecuring devices, of a releasing mechanism arranged on the tray andadapted to cooperate with said devices to release a plate from theholder.

17. The combination with a tray, a closure therefor and a support for aplate holder, of mechanism arranged in the tray and adapted to cooperatewith the plate holder to release a photographic plate therefrom andmeans accessible from the exterior of the tray for operating saidmechanism.

18. The combination with a tray,'a slide for closing it and a supportfor a plate holder, of a member arranged in the tray having fingersthereon adapted to cooperate with a plate holder and means for operatingthe member to release a plate therefrom.

AUGUSTINE GAFFNEY.

Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, ELIZABETH J. PERRY.

